


The Meaning of a Jersey

by Anonymous



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Badass Rey, F/M, Family, Fluff, Grumpy Ben Solo, Humor, Teamwork, bad descriptions of sports
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 12:40:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Professional hockey player, Ben Solo, isn't sure how he feels about getting traded to his hometown team. Luckily he has parents, new teammates, and a spitfire of a woman to help him find his way.





	The Meaning of a Jersey

Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Wars. I’m just borrowing some of the characters for a hockey AU. Teams are completely fictional and not based on any real NHL teams. I also have very limited knowledge of sports, but I love watching hockey.

 

CHAPTER 1: 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

Stepping back onto the ice at the Chandrila community center resurfaced a lot of memories. It’s where his dad taught him how to skate...where he scored his first goal playing little league hockey when he was 6 years old. Who would have thought that 20 years later he would be playing professionally?  Tomorrow he’d have his first practice with the Chandrila Falcon’s. For now, he just wanted to enjoy skating in the place where it all began. 

 

He’d been blindsided by the trade. After six years playing for the Tatooine Troopers, he’d assumed that he would a part of the team for the rest of his career. Snoke had his eye on Ben years before his start in the NHL. He had someone following Ben’s career, pushing him in the right direction. He’d even done a couple seasons with their minor league affiliate and, at age 19, he made his NHL debut. The decision hadn’t been hard. The Troopers were an elite team with top notch talent and an incredible playoff record. He felt wanted, and he wanted the prestige that came with being part of that team. And the money...that was hard to pass up too. He started his career off with a bang and quickly made a name for himself as one of the more aggressive players in the league...one with a bad attitude to match. 

 

Maybe, the trade wasn’t a huge surprise. He had a mediocre last season, a mess of sloppy shots and poor puck handling. Snoke had warned him and threatened him with a trade. Ben figured he was bluffing. Despite his mistakes over the past year, he was still one of the top scoring players on the team. 

 

The silver lining in all of this: he was headed home. In a strange turn of events, he was picked up by his hometown team. He was officially a Chandrila Falcon, the team that made him fall in love with hockey. Han Solo started taking him to games before he could walk, decked out in a little blue jersey and everything. After he got over the initial shock, he’d called his parents. He wanted them to hear it from him. 

 

_ “Hey, mom,” Ben said, smiling upon hearing his mother’s voice.  _

 

_ “Hey, bud. It’s about time you gave your mother a call,” she scolds with no real malice.  _

 

_ “I know. I’ve been busy,” he says. “I do have some good news for you though...”  _

 

_ “And what would that be?”  _

 

_ “I’m coming home.”  _

 

_ “Oh, Ben. That’s great... for a long weekend? Let me know the dates. I’ll have your room all ready for you,” she says delighted.  _

 

_ “Mom. They are going to announce some trades later today.” _

 

_ “Dear, you know I don’t pay attention to that stuff like your dad does. You just let me know where you will be playing and I’ll be there.”  _

 

_ “Yes, I know,” he chuckles. “So, when I get home, I’m actually gonna need to look for a place to potential stay long term.”  _

 

_ “Why would you need a place to stay...oh my god,” she gasps. “Are you a Falcon?”  _

 

_ “As of 8am this morning.” She doesn’t respond right away, but he can hear sniffles in the background.  _

 

_ “Ben, hold on,” she says. “Han! Han get in here.”  _

 

_ He can hear Han’s grumbling getting closer and closer. “Okay your worshipfulness, what is so important that you had to pull me away from the TV.”  _

 

_ “Ben, tell him.”  _

 

_ “You’ve got Ben on the phone? Hey, kid! How’s is going?,” his dad exclaims, taking control of the phone.   _

 

_ “Dad, you’ve got your Falcon season tickets yet?”  _

 

_ “I’ll be renewing the usual seats this week. You know? I alway enjoy watching the game with Chewie or your mom, but it’s nothing like watching them with you kid. I miss ya.”  _

 

_ “I miss you too, dad,” Ben chokes. “Listen, if you wait a few days. I’ll get your seats for you. Up close. .”  _

 

_ “Kid, you offer to do this every year. I don’t need you to get my seats. I’ve been sitting in the same seats for years. It’s tradition at this point.”  _

 

_ “Please let me do it. You’ll be doing me a favor,” Ben says. “It’d look bad if the Falcon’s new forward let his dad sit in the nosebleeds.”  _

 

_ “Kid, are you shitting me?,” Han screams into the phone.  _

 

_ “I wouldn’t dare.”  _

 

_ “Leia, our kid’s a Falcon. He’s coming back from the dark side.” Ben can’t hear what his mother says in response. “Kid, Snoke’s an idiot for trading you, but I always thought he was holding you back.”  _

 

_ “I know you did, dad.”  _

 

_ “Kid, I’m proud of you no matter what team you are playing on, but this...this is going to be really special. I always thought you’d find your way home. I love you. Your mom and I are very excited to have you back.”  _

 

Despite the underlying feeling that this trade was going to be a good thing, Ben was still trying to sort through all of his emotions. Nervousness and anxiety about starting with a new team. Excitement about returning to his hometown. Anger at being tossed away by the team he’d devoted six years of his life to. An early morning skate usually helped to clear his mind. When he arrived, he had the whole rink to himself. He didn’t notice when another skater showed up...until he ran into her. 

 

He was quickly pulled from his own thoughts as he felt his body slam into another human. She tried to use him to catch herself from falling and ended up pulling him down with her. He ends up landing directly on his ass and she’s sprawled out over his knees. 

 

“What the fuck?,” he shouts. “What the hell were you doing?” He get a better look at the woman before him. She’s maybe only a couple years younger than he is. She’s got her brown hair pulled back into three hastily done buns. She’s got light brown, almond shaped eyes...that are currently glaring at him. 

 

“Me? What the hell were you doing? You skated right into me,” she protests, getting back on her feet with surprising grace. 

 

“You were in my way,” he says defiantly, picking himself up off the ice. “You should watch out where you are going.”

 

“You’re the one who should be watching where they’re going,” she retorts, turning her back to him and attempting to skate away. “You really should learn to control yourself. If you’d done so last year, you wouldn’t have spent so much time in the box for sloppy penalties.” Ben jaw drops. For one, he’s surprised someone had recognized him so quickly Two, he’s surprised someone had the guts to speak to him like that. With a few swift glides, he catches up to her and cuts her off. 

 

“What did you just say to me?,” he barks. He can feel the heat rushing to his face and he know his nostrils are probably flaring.  She has the audacity to smirk.

 

“You heard me. The only person who spent more time in the penalty box that you was Maul, who might be clinically insane. It’s not just because you’re aggressive - which clearly you are - it’s because you get worked up and make stupid mistakes,” she states matter of factly. She’d certainly said enough to get him flustered this morning. Two can play that game. 

 

“Are you always a bitch this early in the morning or am I getting special treatment?,” he asks. She starts to say something in response, but he cuts her off. “Tell me, Ice Princess, how can I make you feel better. Did you want an autograph or anything?” 

 

“An apology would be nice, but I’m certainly not going to beg you for it,” she says, skating backwards until she reaches the entrance of the rink. Before, he could say anything else she steps off the ice and disappears into the locker room. 

 

What a way to start the morning. 

_______________________________________________________________

That evening, Ben Solo found himself at his first official event as a member of the time. Every year, a formal dinner is held to kickstart the season and give the new players a chance to meet all of corporate bigwigs and to mingle with other members of the team. The PR intern has been guiding him around the ballroom for the last hour introducing him to various managers and sponsors. 

 

“Alright, Mr. Solo. I’ll take you to see the general manager and then you’ve met everyone. Mr. Andor is like the nicest person ever. So cool,” said the gangly, 23 year old entrusted to show him around. Ben wonders what his father did in order to get him this internship. 

 

Ben adjusts his suit as they approach the aforementioned man. 

 

“Mr. Andor, Ben Solo pleasure to meet you. I'm happy to be here,” he says, sticking out his hand and exchanging all the typical pleasantries he’d learned being the son of a politician. 

 

“Call me, Cassian. Please. Solo! You play a heck of a game. We’re happy to have you. Who doesn’t love a hometown boy?” he booms, clapping Ben on  the back. He was just a friendly as he was made out to be. While, he chatted with the manager, he couldn’t help but notice the lovely woman standing behind him. Well, he assumed she was lovely. She had her back to him...he behind was certainly lovely. She sported a floor length, navy halter dress completely opened in the back. She appeared to be talking to Poe Dameron, a defenseman who tends to think he’s a forward. Maybe she’s his girlfriend or wife. Andors seems to follow his gaze. “You’ve met Dameron?,” he asks, walking towards the man and motioning for Ben to follow. 

 

“Yeah, we actually did a lot of training camps together growing up,” he nods politely. 

 

“Good kid. Good instincts,” he shouts. “Dameron, say hello to your new teammate!” 

 

“Solo and I go way back, sir. He gave me my first black eye,” he lets out a hearty laugh. “Hey, man. How’s it going?” Ben accepts his high five with as much enthusiasm as he can muster. He’d never been fond of Dameron. He’s never been especially fond of anyone. 

 

Andor seemed pleased with the exchange. “And this, lovely woman, is my daughter Rey,” he says with pride.  The woman in the navy dress turns towards him and Ben finally gets a good look at her face. It’s the woman from the ice rink. 

 

Shit. 


End file.
